Top 10 Items RV Owners Need for Reliable Campground Connections

When you travel by RV it’s a good idea to be prepared for the unexpected. This is especially true when you arrive at your campground destination. I could probably list 20 items that are helpful in making campground connections, but there are 10 items that help ensure reliable connections at the campground every time.

#10-Coax Cable

The majority of campgrounds you stay at will offer access to some type of cable television. To make the connection you will need coax cable. I keep a 25-foot roll of coax cable in the RV and I always had plenty of cable to make the connection from the RV to the campground cable connector.

#9-Disposable Gloves

I keep a supply of inexpensive disposable gloves on hand in the RV. They work great for all of your RV holding tank and waste-water management chores, and they are handy for routine maintenance on the RV too.

#8-Water Regulator

You never know what the water pressure will be at a campground. A water regulator helps protect your RV plumbing system from high water pressure that is common at many campgrounds. Always connect the regulator at the source of the water to regulate the pressure before it enters the drinking hose or the RV.

Sometimes the RV power cord is not long enough to reach the campground electrical connection. When this happens you need an extension cord that is compatible with the electrical system on your RV. Regular household extension cords are not rated for 30 plus amps.

Some campsites are fairly level and some aren’t. It’s a good idea to keep some stackable leveling blocks on hand in the RV. When you position the RV on the site you can use the stackable leveling blocks to level the RV, and if it’s a towable RV the leveling blocks can be used under the tongue jack or landing gear. Leveling blocks not only assist in leveling the RV, they provide solid footing when the ground is sandy, loose or wet.

#5-Water Filtration

I highly recommend some type of water filtration system. There are several types of water filters available, designed specifically for use with RVs. You can install an under the counter filter directly to a faucet you use to drink from, or you can use an external filtration system designed to filter all of the water going into the RV.

When you travel in your RV you never know what type of electrical service will be available, and the day will come when you need an RV adapter cord to make the electrical connection at the campground. I recommend keeping several electrical adapters on hand in the RV at all times.

I recommend keeping an assortment of potable RV drinking water hoses in the RV. I keep a 4-foot, 10-foot and 25-foot drinking hose in the RV at all times so I can always reach the campground water supply. I take an ordinary garden hose for cleaning the RV and for rinsing and flushing the holding tanks. The garden hose should be green, black or gray in color. RV drinking water hoses are normally white or blue, so the colors will help you distinguish between the two types of hoses.

Like drinking water hoses, I recommend keeping extra lengths of sewer hoses on hand too. I keep a 10-foot and a 20-foot drain hose in the RV at all times. You never know how far you will be away from the campground sewer drain. I also recommend using heavy-duty RV sewer drain hoses. They do not cost much more than a standard sewer hose and will last much longer. RV sewer drain outlets not only come in different sizes, but some are smooth pipe while others are threaded pipe. This is why I recommend an assortment of adapters to make the connection at the campground sewer or dump station drain outlet. I keep a universal RV sewer adapter on hand that fits most smooth and threaded pipe drain outlets at the campground.

I highly recommend using some type of surge protector that will protect the RV’s electrical system from possible damage. There are several different surge protector products available. I personally use Surge Guard products on my RV. The surge guard I use protects the RV from faulty wiring at a campground like an open neutral, open ground and reverse polarity. It also protects against voltage sags, surges and spikes. The bottom line is your RV is equipped with some highly sophisticated electronics and expensive appliances that need to be protected against all of these potential threats. Watch a video for more information

I mentioned earlier that there are lots of helpful products when it comes to making connections at the campground, but these are my top 10 products for consistently reliable campground connections.

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